Call to Action: Car Brains Try to Remove San Mateo Committee Member for Opposing Widenings
Update July 11: Mike Swire will remain on the CAC! “WE won 4-2 as I was re-appointed for a full three-year term to the SMCTA Community Advisory Committee,” wrote Swire in a statement.
Mike Swire has served for three years on the San Mateo County Transportation Authority Community Advisory Committee (CAC). Now, two members of the three-person “nominating committee,” San Bruno Mayor Rico Medina and South San Francisco Councilman Mark Nagales, have voted for his removal because he has the temerity to criticize freeway widening. Getting reappointed to the committee is normally a formality.
At 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 10 (today!) in San Carlos (at Samtrans HQ or Zoom), the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA) will vote on removing Swire, one of its most vocal critics, from its CAC. SMCTA has already received 550-plus angry emails on the matter. Many advocates are planning on attending.
More from Swire himself on his Action Network page:
On Thursday July 10 [Today!] at 5p, the Board will consider my reappointment to the CAC. The CAC acts as a liaison between the Board (elected officials) and the public, providing independent oversight on the County’s use of transportation tax dollars. Sadly, several Board members are trying to block my reappointment, not because of rule violations or poor performance. Rather, they claim that it is inappropriate for me to serve on the advisory committee given my speech against highway widenings and traffic violence in San Mateo County, outside of my SMCTA duties. Other CAC members have noted that my dismissal will have a chilling impact on their ability to speak independently on SMCTA policies.
Swire has appeared in Streetsblog several times, most recently for his work opposing a giant freeway ramp flyover project in the city of San Mateo. Swire’s work has been instrumental in highlighting the absurdity of continuing to widen 101, when it simply results in more traffic. Just Google “Streetsblog and Mike Swire” to get an idea of what a force of nature he’s been for the cause of safe-and-livable streets.
Streetsblog urges its Peninsula readers (and in fact all readers) to send a letter or attend the meeting. Swire belongs on the CAC.
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